How to build strength without bulking up?

briskjackal5 said:I don't get why you're posing in black pants from such a close angle just to "show off your legs"...

Don't go thinking I'm some creep, but if you're gonna take photos for that reason, just strip down and get it over with. 😁

-Steve

haha 🙏

rustybadger42 said:Adding some cardio to your strength training might actually get you where you want to be. If you're aiming for that lean, wiry look, cycling or long-distance running could do the trick. Though, if you're already naturally gifted with strong legs, you probably won't have much to worry about. Honestly, don't stress too much about getting bulky; it doesn't just happen overnight, especially for us women. It’s all about myofibrillar hypertrophy, which you can target with a smart mix of strength and endurance work.

Please, let's not talk nonsense like "if you want lean muscles." Muscle shape is basically hardwired into your DNA. No specific type of exercise is going to fundamentally change how your muscle fibers are shaped.

I'd usually skip commenting on this just to avoid being rude to the OP, but it’s honestly wild how many women—my own sister included—seem to think that picking up a couple of light dumbbells will suddenly turn them into Arnold.

So, there’s basically no difference in muscle hypertrophy between cardio and strength training. Rock'n'roll. Give me more.

@Tandara97 - Maybe just skip the isolation moves and stick to compound exercises. And honestly, someone tell Gregory to stop helping... 🙂

Henry Hayes3 said:
🤣

Man, I want to look absolutely shredded like that 😁 is there any way I can actually pull that off if I just spend the rest of the year bingeing on cookies? 🙂

Look, this girl is definitely on the larger side. Don't get me wrong, I’m into it, but look at those abs—if she lets herself go even a little bit, she’s gonna turn into a total tank, and that just isn't the vibe. (I know a few girls at my local Gold's Gym who end up looking exactly like that during their offseason)

Lisa Rogers94 said:I'd go for that much more built-out look... 😁 Can I actually pull this off if I just gorge on cookies until New Year's Eve?... 🙂

If we're talking about those hairy guys... then yeah. 😁

Steven Lopez35 said:Look, this girl is big, and let’s be real—I’m into that. But look at those gym rats... if she lets herself go even a little bit, she’s gonna turn into a total tank. That’s just not the vibe... I see girls like that at my local Gold's Gym all the time during their off-season...

I'm into that too, but my favorite part is definitely the leg split... seeing exactly where those muscle separations hit... 🙏

Just scrolling through Facebook right now.

Michelle’s got more arm volume than Kate, even though Kate carries way more body fat. Just imagine how Michelle would look if she bumped her body fat up to Kate's level—she'd just look soft and bloated like a ball. And that's all while they're both sitting at such low body fat, which we all know is a massive grind to maintain year-round. 😉

Can't really tell without seeing the bill, but you're right... she'd be a total cutie-pie 😁

Can someone please just delete this thread? It’s genuinely embarrassing having to look at this title.

Man, look at this one on the left

But that one on the right? I can't even deal. It's like that Kate Upton model promoting body fat or whatever... just gross. Seriously gets under my skin

Lisa Rogers94 said:I’d go for that overbuilt look myself—definitely my style. 😁 Can I actually pull this off if I spend the rest of the year just gorging myself on cookies? 🙂

That’s easy! Just eat six servings per bite and you'll have a six-pack before the deadline.
I just don't know how many pieces your leg is actually going to end up in...😁

Henry Hayes3 said:If those pastries are actually 😁

I don't even have any pastries 😢

rustybadger42 said:That's easy! Just smash 6 of them in one bite and you'll have a six-pack before the deadline.
The only thing I don't know is how many pieces your leg is gonna break into while you're at it...😁

You mean eating 6 cookies all at once so you can do more sets? 😁
My leg's probably gonna split into 6 different pieces too (though God knows which ones) 🤣

Henry Hayes3 said:Honestly, you can totally beef them up just by doing tons of calf raises—you know, those reps where you're basically just rising up on your toes—and since calves are such a tiny muscle group, they aren't even that hard to build unless you were just born with crappy genetics for them.

I mean, I do that sometimes, but honestly? Running on my toes feels way faster and does a much better job of tightening everything up, especially if my legs have gotten a little soft from being lazy lately.

Look, you’re gonna build up some calf muscle from running, and it happens pretty fast. Anything beyond that requires hitting the gym with actual weights. We don't even need to get into all that toning and definition nonsense. 😁

ambertiger18 said:I do that sometimes, but toe running hits harder... really gets those muscles tight, especially if you're out of shape and they've gone soft.

Nothing’s gonna hit your calves better than an isolation move. You just think that because you aren't actually putting in the work...

Henry Hayes3 said:you aren't gonna get a better or faster pump than you do with this calf isolation exercise; you just think it isn't working because you aren't engaging them actively enough

What do you mean "think" it isn't working? Like, I'm not blind here, man. 😁 And what on earth is that supposed to mean, "engaging them actively"?

ambertiger18 said:How do you think I feel about it? I'm not blind. 😁 And what exactly do you mean by 'active training'?

I mean compared to doing isolated calf raises, running might seem better. I'm not saying it isn't useful, just that isolation work will give you better calves than running ever will.

That's what I meant by active...

ambertiger18 said:especially if they've gotten lazy from not training.

Henry Hayes3, man, I honestly don't even know what you're getting at there, because who actually has the time for that? I remember grinding out those calf raises for a solid month straight and my muscles still felt totally soft, just zero definition. Honestly, I’d much rather just go for a hard run—it gets results way faster, even if the quality of the gains might not be quite as elite.

Grab some weights or an extra load... makes the work way harder, but you'll see much better results too

ambertiger18 said:Henry Hayes3, I honestly don't get what you're driving at, but who actually has the time for that? I spent an entire month grinding out calf raises and my muscles still look soft. Running gets results way faster, even if the quality isn't quite there.

😵